Date:18/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/18/stories/2004011810630300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

A Sankranthi gift for schoolchildren

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JAN. 17. The under privileged children of Uttarahalli Government Primary School had a memorable Sankranthi this year. They were served sweets and "Pongal" and gifted new clothes and sweaters.

All this was part of the inauguration of the second Akshaya Patra kitchen set up in Bangalore South on Kanakapura Road. Children from better-off families studying in elite schools inaugurated the facility. Akshaya Patra has a "Kids-for-kids" project through which children in elite schools help those less fortunate. Six high school children from Innisfree House School, J.P. Nagar, cut the ribbon.

When fully equipped, this second kitchen can cook food for 50,000 children at a time. The Akshaya Patra kitchen at Hare Krishna Hill in Rajajinagar is functioning beyond its full capacity, cooking food for 53,000 children. "The requests for including schools under the Akshaya Patra programme is increasing, and of late we have to turn away some schools because of the limitations of the kitchen," said Madhu Pandit Dasa, President of the ISKCON Temple and Chairman of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.

Innisfree House School is among those actively participating in the Kids-for-kids programme launched by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, here some six months ago. Children contribute to feed those from under privileged families, studying in government and corporation schools. The cost of the second kitchen when fully equipped will be Rs. 2 crore and will help to feed 50,000 more children.